Abstract
We investigate the effect of extremely rough bathymetry on energy
dissipation and mixing in a coastal region characterized by small-scale
seafloor features penetrating a strongly-stratified density interface of
comparable vertical scale. Our data from the non-tidal Baltic Sea
include shear microstructure measurements and observations from a
broadband echosounder, here used to resolve the extreme variability and
intermittency of stratified turbulence in the vicinity of obstacles.
Scale analysis and acoustic imaging of small-scale turbulent motions
suggest that the underlying mixing mechanisms are related to topographic
wake eddies and, to a smaller extent, to breaking internal waves near
the bathymetric features. Vertical diffusivities exceed those at a
nearby reference station with smooth bathymetry by up to two orders of
magnitude. Our study emphasizes the importance of rough small-scale
(< 1 km) bathymetric features for energy dissipation and
vertical turbulent transport in coastal areas shaped by e.g., glacial,
tectonic, or volcanic processes.